Read Think Pray is a daily reflection on the Revised Common Lectionary Readings for the previous Sunday. The idea is simply to get you - reading, thinking and praying about the scriptures you heard at your Sunday Service.

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Read Genesis 45:1-15

Read Genesis 45:1-15

Joseph
was no longer able to control his feelings in front of his servants, so he
ordered them all to leave the room. No one else was with him when Joseph told
his brothers who he was. 2He cried with such loud sobs that the
Egyptians heard it, and the news was taken to the king’s palace. 3Joseph
said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But when his
brothers heard this, they were so terrified that they could not answer. 4Then
Joseph said to them, “Please come closer.” They did, and he said, “I am your
brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5Now do not be upset or
blame yourselves because you sold me here. It was really God who sent me ahead
of you to save people’s lives. 6This is only the second year of
famine in the land; there will be five more years in which there will be
neither ploughing nor reaping. 7God sent me ahead of you to rescue
you in this amazing way and to make sure that you and your descendants survive.
8So it was not really you who sent me here, but God. He has made me
the king’s highest official. I am in charge of his whole country; I am the
ruler of all Egypt.

12 Joseph
continued, “Now all of you, and you too, Benjamin, can see that I am really
Joseph. 13Tell my father how powerful I am here in Egypt and tell
him about everything that you have seen. Then hurry and bring him here.”

14 He
threw his arms round his brother Benjamin and began to cry; Benjamin also cried
as he hugged him. 15Then, still weeping, he embraced each of his
brothers and kissed them. After that, his brothers began to talk with him.

Think

Last week we read how Joseph
was sold into slavery; if you have the time read through his amazing story from
Genesis 37 through to 45.After all he
had been through, enslaved and imprisoned he was able to forgive his brothers
for what they had done because he knew that through everything that happened;
God was with him.

Pray

Lord I struggle to forgive a
lot of people.Trusting in you, Joseph
is able to reconcile with his brothers and bless them.Help me to follow the example of people like
Joseph and Jesus; work in my heart I pray.